Blog

Blog Entries - 2023

Brandy Blaylock holding a walking stick out in nature.

B's Creative Life

March 29, 2023

A story by Brandy Blaylock. This article is also featured in the April 7, 2023, issue of The Ripple.   It all started with the bees; learning about their decline changed the way I gardened. Having grown up in the

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Green eco-friendly graphics on a cardboard background, surrounding earth.

Returning the Gifts

March 27, 2023

by Connie O'Connor, Director of Applied Learning Every day I am grateful for my connection to nature. The Earth’s gifts sustain my heart, mind, and body. My efforts to reciprocate these gifts seem

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Lisa Arnett during her proudest moment, holding peppers from a New Richmond farm

Meet a Gleaner!

February 28, 2023

A story by Connie O'Connor. This article is also featured in the March 3, 2023, issue of The Ripple. Lisa Arnett knows that food waste is both an environmental and a humanitarian issue.  She writes, “Since I

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Hand holds pawpaw fruit over white, plastic collection bucket.

At Long Branch, “Farm” is Still a Verb

by Jason Neumann, Public Programs Manager Enough time has passed that the collective memory of Long Branch Farm as a working educational farm has largely faded. In 1972, Neil and Camilla McElroy generously

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Dragonfly on lotus flower.
Image by Larry Foltz

Returning to the Pond: The Plot Twist that Keeps Me Humble

February 22, 2023

by Cory Christopher, Director of Conservation I sometimes re-read particularly good scientific papers. I tend to prefer ecological topics, as you may imagine, but I specifically love ecosystem-level research that

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Black locust tree with blooms

How to Garden Mindfully with Native and Non-Native Species

February 14, 2023

A story by Sydney Wissmann. This article is also featured in the February 15, 2023, Now in Nature. Should you only garden with native plants? I was recently chatting with my assistant land steward coworker about

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